The purpose of this article is to provide a description of contrasting discourse patterns during small-group reading instruction. The authors report on case studies conducted in two 1st-grade classrooms in different school districts in Pennsylvania. Small-group reading instruction was observed over the course of one year in each classroom, and teacher interviews were conducted to elicit information regarding beliefs about teaching and learning. Through their findings, the authors link the discourse patterns to teacher beliefs and discuss implications for student literacy acquisition.